1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to heat transfer elements and more particularly to heat transfer elements adapted to increase energy use efficiency.
2. Prior Art
A search of the prior patent art revealed the following patents related to, but not anticipatory of the present invention:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,068,955 (Krutzer, et al) issued Jan. 26, 1937, is directed to vaporization of a refrigerant in a cooling system and, specifically, to a spiral metal ribbon inserted in a conventional finned-tube evaporator coil to change the liquid-vapor conditions and to improve the heat-transfer capability of the system. This patent fails to show a liquid-to-liquid heat transfer element which can be used to convert an energy-inefficient electric hot water heating system into an energy efficient gas-fired potable water heating system.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,080,916 (Collins) issued Mar. 12, 1963, is directed to an air-to-liquid heat transfer coil in which the finned-tube coil is designed with a precise relationship between tubes to improve air-to-tube surface exposure and, consequently, heat transfer. This patent fails to show a liquid-to-liquid heat transfer element which is capable of converting an energy inefficient electrically powered hot water into a potable-water storage tank for an energy-efficient gas-fired heating system.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,924,438 (Malkoff) issued Feb. 9, 1960, is directed to an insert tube designed to change the liquid flow characteristics in existing heating coils so as to eliminate internal air accumulation. This patent fails to show a heat transfer element designed to convert any electric hot water heater into a storage tank for potable water heated by the transfer element as a result of boiler water heated by a gas-fired burner in an energy-efficient system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,053,014 (Neff, et al) issued Oct. 11, 1977, shows an air-to-liquid heat exchanger coil of aluminum in which the problem of sealing the aluminum system is simplified by a particular arrangement of tubes and headers. It does not show a liquid-to-liquid heat transfer element that can convert any electric hot water heater to a potable hot water heater for an energy-efficient gas-fired heating system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,071,078 (Padden) which was issued Jan. 31, 1978, is directed to a hydronic heating system utilizing conventional heat transfer elements and does not show or suggest the novel heat transfer element of this invention which is capable of converting any hot water heater into the storage tank for potable hot water in a gas-fired system.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,707,868 (Goodman) which was issued May 10, 1955, is directed to a refrigeration system and a mixing valve for that system. It does not show or suggest the heat exchanger element of this invention which is capable of converting an electric hot water heater into the hot water storage tank for an energy-efficient gas-fired heating system.
Existing "all-electric" houses and houses with hybrid heating systems, i.e. electric hot water heaters and gas-fired, forced-air space heating systems are highly energy-inefficient. Further, the cost of operating such systems has become prohibitive. As a result, mini-boiler systems have been developed which rely upon gas-fired boilers and small-bore tubing hydronic systems to provide both space heating and water heating requirements. Up until the time of this invention, existing hot-water heaters, which are energy inefficient, have been discarded and replaced by new hot water storage tanks (which is material and energy wasteful) or water continued to be heated electrically, which is unnecessarily wasteful and expensive.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to overcome the problems hereinbefore set forth.
It is a further object of this invention to provide means for conserving energy and material in converting energy-inefficient heating systems into energy efficient ones.